Want to protect people with preexisting conditions? You need the full Affordable Care Act. October 22, 2020 Perspective In this perspective published by the Washington Post, KFF Executive Vice President for Health Policy Larry Levitt explains why the popular Affordable Care Act provisions that ensure people with pre-existing conditions can access affordable health insurance can’t easily be preserved if other related provisions are overturned.
Increasingly Privatized Public Health Insurance Programs in the US March 30, 2023 Perspective In this JAMA Forum column, KFF’s Larry Levitt examines the growing role of private insurance companies in public programs, including Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care, and the tradeoffs that result.
Complexity in Our Health Care System is the Enemy of Access and Affordability October 26, 2023 Perspective In this JAMA Health Forum column, KFF’s Drew Altman and Larry Levitt examine how the complexity of the health care system – with all of its red tape – can be as big a problem for patients as the traditional big three problems of costs, quality and access.
The Implications of the Public’s Pre-existing Condition Amnesia May 16, 2024 Perspective KFF’s Larry Levitt discusses waning awareness of the Affordable Care Act’s provisions protecting people with pre-existing conditions and examines the Republican Study Committee’s budget proposal, which proposes to repeal the provisions.
Medical Debt: The Canary in the Coal Mine for Health Care Affordability September 5, 2024 Perspective With Vice President Harris promising to address medical debt as part of her economic plan, KFF Executive Vice President for Health Policy Larry Levitt explores why it is a symptom of the broader problem of affordable health care and reviews recent efforts to address it in this JAMA Health Forum post.
The Health System Appears To Be Selling LGBT+ People Short August 2, 2021 Perspective With much focus on equity in the nation’s health care system during the pandemic, Drew Altman’s Axios column brings attention to warning signs about health care provided to LGBT+ individuals.
Pulling it Together: The Sleeper in Health Reform June 16, 2009 Perspective The health reform legislation currently being crafted on Capitol Hill is undeniably complex. To oversimplify slightly it can be boiled down into four parts: coverage (subsidies for private coverage and Medicaid expansions); delivery and payment reforms; insurance market reforms and regulations; and prevention, with each broad category containing a range…
Pulling it Together: Last Week’s Health Reform “Shocker” June 24, 2009 Perspective Last week we learned that health reform could cost the federal government at least a trillion dollars over ten years, and that it will be really difficult to forge bipartisan agreement on legislation and keep major interest groups on board. This obviously brought more angst to the deliberations, several Republicans…
Open Enrollment: Insights from Medicare for Health Insurance Marketplaces October 23, 2014 Perspective This Policy Insight draws on the experiences of Medicare beneficiaries during Medicare’s annual enrollment period to consider whether consumers with health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s new marketplaces will shop for a better deal during their open enrollment season.
At CMS, the Mission Is Broader Than Medicare and Medicaid August 10, 2015 Perspective In his latest column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses whether the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ broad new responsibilities implementing the Affordable Care Act and a more proactive approach to Medicare payment signals that it’s time for (another) name change.
